Jamie Oliver's 'best roast potato' recipe tried and tested (2024)

Without a shadow of a doubt, roast spuds have to be our favourite thing about a Sunday lunch (alongside a homemade apple crumble to follow of course).

There are lots of recipes available to follow online and in cook books for the ultimate roast potatoes but there was one method that particularly caught our eye.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's 'Best Roast Potato' recipe is a bit different to many we had stumbled across before, so we decided to try it out.

READ MORE: We tried Jamie Oliver's 'easy' Yorkshire pudding recipe and this was the end result

Jamie said on his website: “Simple as roast potatoes are, there’s a handful of tiny, but important, details – picked up throughout my cooking career – that when combined give you this ultimate recipe, which I believe creates the perfect roast potato. What a luxury."

Needless to say they were immense.

Crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle, they tasted absolutely divine.

They did require some prep work as he suggests peeling and buttering them up a day in advance, but it was worth it.

Plus it does save you some stress in the long run especially if you are cooking for a crowd the following day.

The secret to making them super crispy is to "gently half-squash each potato", Jamie said.

He also uses olive oil and garlic, plus fresh garlic and sage to intensify the flavours.

Watch how we got on in the video above and make them yourselves using his easy recipe below.

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Jamie Oliver's 'best roast potato' recipe tried and tested (1)

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Jamie Oliver's Best Roast Potato recipe (serves 5)

Ingredients

  • 1.25 kg medium Maris Piper potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons goose fat or unsalted butter
  • Drizzle olive oil
  • 1/2 bulb of garlic
  • 1/4 bunch fresh sage

Method

Get ahead

  1. Peel the potatoes, keeping them whole, and ideally all about the same size (8cm). Parboil them in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes – this will ensure that the insides become really fluffy.
  2. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes – this will help the fat to stick to the potatoes. Give the colander a few light shakes to chuff up the edges of the potatoes, giving you maximum surface area for a crispy exterior as they roast.
  3. Place the goose fat or butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in your largest roasting tray. Tip in the potatoes, add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss to coat, and spread out in one fairly snug, even layer but with small gaps between them.
  4. Cover and pop in the fridge overnight.

On the day

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  2. Squash the garlic bulbs, then lightly crush each unpeeled clove and add to the tray – this gives you sweet, caramelised garlic and adds a gentle perfume to the potatoes.
  3. Roast for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are crisp and golden all over.
  4. Remove the tray from the oven. We’re nearly there, but we’ve got one last application of love and care, which is the game-changer. Gently half-squash each potato with a fish slice or masher so they kind of push into each other and fill the tray.
  5. Pick the sage leaves and – importantly – toss with a little oil (this will transmit the flavour and make them deliciously crisp). Sprinkle the sage over the potatoes and roast for a further 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and amazing.

Jamie Oliver's 'best roast potato' recipe tried and tested (2)

  • 217 calories per serving
  • 7.6g fat per serving
  • Gluten free
  • Vegan if using dairy free butter
  • Easy
  • Meal prep

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Jamie Oliver's 'best roast potato' recipe tried and tested (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay make perfect roast potatoes? ›

In a video online, Gordon explained: “For crispy roast potatoes, you can depend on them, my tip is to parboil them, leave them to steam dry, then sprinkle them with semolina or flour, and then give them a good roughing up.”

How to make the best roast potatoes James Martin? ›

Melt the lard in a deep flameproof roasting tray on a high heat and fry the potatoes on each side until they begin to brown. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 30 minutes, or until starting to colour. Turn the potatoes and return to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.

What happens if you don't soak potatoes before roasting? ›

Yes! Soak the potatoes in cold water to remove the excess starch from the outside of the potato. There are a few reasons why you want to remove that starch (it makes the potatoes burn, it keeps them from crisping up, it turns to sugar) but all you really need to remember is to soak them at least one hour.

Which is the best oil to use for roast potatoes? ›

Neutral, low-cost oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., work well for roasting. These oils have a high smoke point, allowing the potatoes to get very hot to achieve maximum crispiness.

Is it better to boil potatoes before roasting? ›

In most potato recipes, I recommend starting potatoes in cold water and bringing them up to a boil. This helps ensure that the exteriors don't turn to mush before the insides have a chance to cook through.

Why can't i get my roast potatoes crispy? ›

Here's a few ideas you could try:
  • make sure they're completely dry.
  • use more oil.
  • open the oven door so that the moisture leaves the oven.
  • use more heat, sometimes it's necessary (you could read it up in your oven's manual)
  • use potatoes that have less flour / starch. Use waxy potato types such as anya or russett.
Mar 11, 2021

How do restaurants do roast potatoes? ›

  1. Many restaurants pre-cook their potatoes partially. This could be by baking, microwaving, or even boiling them until they're almost done.
  2. When you order, they finish them off in a hot oven to get a crispy skin and ensure they're piping hot throughout.
Jan 6, 2022

Should you boil potatoes before roasting them? ›

Do I have to boil potatoes before roasting? Not necessary but this can help get the perfect consistency and crispiness. Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven.

Should I cover potatoes with foil when roasting? ›

In the examples above you nearly double the cost of the potato for the 50 sheets, and for the 500 sheets add nearly 36% to the cost. NEVER BAKE POTATOES IN FOIL. Foil wraps will not decrease baking time, but will result in a soggy potato interior with wet skin.

How do you keep roast potatoes crispy? ›

If you want to make this roast potatoes day before recipe and keep the potatoes crispy, ensure you put them in hot oil before baking them. This will help the potatoes stay crispy. If you're preparing roast potatoes in advance and find they have gone soggy in the fridge.

References

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